Officer Down
by Kenna Monster
Summary: Jay's stubborn refusal to let anyone help him might cause more harm than good.
1. Chapter 1

"He's gonna be in pain for a few days, just make sure he gets plenty of rest," the doctor instructed before leaving the room. Erin turned, watching Jay struggle into his coat.

"Let me help," Ruzek offered, springing forward.

Jay pulled away, a look of stubborn refusal crossing his face. "I've got it."

"This outta be fun," Olinksy murmured to Erin. She sighed. As if watching her partner get shot hadn't been bad enough, he'd then signed himself out against medical advice less than half an hour after the ambulance brought him to the ER.

"I really think you should stay here," Antonio said, voicing everyone's (but Jay's) opinion.

"I just wanna go home," he argued, zipping up his coat. He would never admit it but if he had to stay there one more minute he'd start breaking things. Voight noticed how close he was to the edge and reluctantly allowed Erin and Ruzek to take him home under the condition that they checked in on him in the morning. Jay didn't mind. As long as it wasn't the hospital. He could heal his cracked ribs at home without a doctor's supervision.

"You want anything to eat?" Erin asked as Ruzek drove them to Jay's apartment.

"I'm good," Jay replied from the backseat. He was too nauseous to handle food, and chalked it up to fading adrenaline.

Once they'd parked he slowly made his way out of the car and into the elevator, refusing to acknowledge Erin's knowing glance. He was obviously not in any shape to tackle the three flights of stairs. Yet he kept up his strong facade as he unlocked his door and tossed the keys on the table before making a beeline for the couch.

It was an old tan monster with the perfect amount of fluffy cloud like quality that Jay knew would ease him into sleep. His bed, though high quality, didn't have the same healing comfort that his old beat up couch did. Plus it made it easier to prove to Ruzek and Erin that he was fine.

Unfortunately his body had other ideas as he sank down onto the couch. He let out an involuntary groan and slowly leaned sideways until he was laying down, being careful not to jostle his ribs. When he blinked open his eyes he was surprised to find Ruzek and Erin surveying him with varying levels of concern.

"You sure you're doing okay?" Ruzek asked, unsure.

"I'm fine," Jay argued. "Just tired. It's been a long day."

"We'll put on a movie or something," Erin said, grabbing a blanket and covering him with it while Ruzek turned on an action flick. Once they were satisfied that he was settled they left with promises to return in the morning.

He slowly began to relax, letting sleep take him.

* * *

Jay wasn't sure how long he slept, but when he awoke it was dark out and the movie was over.

A sudden wave of nausea hit and he barely had time to roll over before he puked onto the floor. Somewhere in his head an alarm began going off and even though he was exhausted he forced himself to stand on wobbly legs and go to the bathroom where he knelt in front of the toilet, throwing up until he was spent.

As he flushed Jay caught a glance downwards and was instantly alarmed to see blood swirling below. He leaned back against the wall, his eyes closing. The worry which had been so strong only a moment before faded away while unconsciousness took its place.

* * *

"I hope Jay's feeling better," Burgess said as she followed Ruzek and Erin down the hall to his apartment.

"He'd feel better if he had just stayed at the hospital," Erin grumbled. She unlocked the door and led the way inside, walking into the empty living room.

"Jay?" Ruzek called, going to his room to check. He glanced in as he passed the bathroom and what he saw made him stop in his tracks. Jay was curled up on the ground, not moving.

"Jay!" Ruzek shouted as he rushed to his side, his cry alerting Erin and Burgess who ran to them.

"Jay? Jay can you hear me?" Erin asked, crouching beside him. He was still and pale, sweat plastering his hair to his forehead.

"I'll call an ambulance," Burgess said as she stepped back giving them room to roll Jay onto his back, his head supported by a towel.

"We're closest to firehouse 51, call Severide," Erin said, tossing her phone to Burgess.

"Jay? Come on man open your eyes," Ruzek coaxed, gently shaking his shoulder.

"His pulse is really fast," Erin commented. She and Ruzek made eye contact, their panic mirrored in the other's expression.

Burgess handed Erin her phone. "They're on the way, I'll go wait for them downstairs."

"I knew we shouldn't have let him leave," Erin said as Burgess hurried from the room. Erin just wished there was more she could do. She hated feeling so helpless.

"It's alright we'll get it figured out," Ruzek soothed, trying his hardest to remain calm.

A few minutes later they heard footsteps then the front door open as Burgess led Gabby and Sylvie into the apartment.

"Why didn't he stay at the hospital?" Gabby asked, Ruzek and Erin reluctantly letting the two EMTs in. Sylvie got the stretcher into position while Gabby checked his pulse and breathing.

"Said he felt fine and wanted to go home," Ruzek replied.

"Breath sounds are diminished on the left and he's tachycardic, we need to go!" Gabby ordered.

Everyone sprang into action. They worked together to lift Jay up onto the stretcher, hurrying out of the apartment and to the elevator then to the ambulance parked on the street outside.

"We'll meet you there!" Ruzek shouted as Erin climbed into the ambulance and sat down beside Jay. She tried to breathe as they quickly pulled into traffic and headed towards the hospital. Gabby shouted a few things to Sylvie and somehow got him hooked to an IV, all while Erin sat there holding his hand and silently praying he'd be alright.

When Voight, Olinsky, Antonio, Roman and Atwater arrived they found Burgess, Ruzek and Erin in the waiting room. Erin was pacing, wringing her hands together while Ruzek explained what happened. Then they all settled in for a long day.

After what felt like an eternity but was only half an hour the doctor came out to talk to them. Erin tried to ignore the seemingly grim expression he wore.

"How is he?" Voight asked.

The doctor sighed. "He has massive internal bleeding. One of his ribs shifted and punctured his lung. Right now we're prepping him for surgery, then he'll be moved to ICU so we can focus on fighting any possible infection."

Ruzek nodded. He was completely at a loss for words. Burgess slipped her hand into his, gently squeezing. After the doctor left they settled back into their seats, his head finding its way onto her shoulder. He closed his eyes, hoping when he woke up things would be better.


	2. Chapter 2

**[A/N : Thank you so much for all the amazing reviews! On to the next chapter!]**

_"He has massive internal bleeding. One of his ribs shifted and punctured his lung. Right now we're prepping him for surgery, then he'll be moved to ICU so we can focus on fighting any possible infection."_

Those words echoed in Erin's head as they sat for another two hours, waiting for the doctor to update them once Jay's surgery was complete. She felt like time was moving in slow motion but feared saying anything in case the others sent her home to get some rest. She wouldn't be able to sleep until she knew he was going to be okay.

"He made it through surgery," the doctor said as he entered the room and looked around. "We decided against moving him to the ICU. He's getting settled in a room right now and won't be awake for a while but if you'd like to go see him that's fine."

"Thanks doc," Voight said, sticking out his hand in a rare form of appreciation and respect. Erin didn't waste any time thinking about her boss as she led the way down the hall to the directed room, peeking inside and sighing in relief when she saw Jay asleep, propped up by numerous pillows.

"He looks good," Atwater said as everyone filed in, wanting to check on him.

"A lot better than earlier," agreed Burgess. Ruzek nodded.

Erin ignored them, pulling a chair up and sitting beside him. Just seeing him, being able to reach out and touch him, was helping calm her down. She hadn't realized how worried and tense she'd been until she felt herself begin to relax.

"We should get back to the precinct, Erin you alright staying here with him?" Voight asked.

Erin nodded, looking up at her commander. He clapped a hand on her shoulder before leading the others out. After they left she turned on the tv so there'd be some background noise and settled in for a long wait.

* * *

Erin didn't remember falling asleep but when a strange noise jerked her awake she looked around, surprised to see it was afternoon already. She heard the noise again and looked at Jay. He was half awake and trying to pull the oxygen cannula out of his nose.

"Hey!" She grinned, reaching out and grabbing his hand. He blinked at her, brain fuzzy and working slowly.

"Rin?" He asked, struggling to figure out where they were. The last thing he remembered was throwing up, then nothing.

"It's okay, just relax. You're at the hospital," she explained, seeing his look of confusion and panic.

"Hospital," he murmured, closing his eyes. Erin brushed the hair back from his forehead, worry sparking when she felt how warm he was.

"How's our patient doing?" Ruzek asked as he and Burgess walked in.

"I think he might have a fever," Erin replied, looking at them.

"M'fine," Jay argued, half asleep.

"I'm gonna go get the doctor," Erin said, standing up. Ruzek took her seat.

"Hey bud you still with us?" He asked. Jay nodded, opening his eyes blearily. Ruzek and Burgess' faces swam into view.

"What's going on?" He croaked.

"We just wanted to come by and check on you," Burgess replied.

Ruzek nodded. "You had us all worried."

"Don't worry about me," Jay said, forehead scrunching together. He didn't like having the others concerned.

"Too late," Ruzek teased. Burgess whacked his shoulder, able to tell how upset Jay was and how hard he was working at hiding it.

"Hi Jay how are you feeling?" The doctor asked as he walked in, Erin following.

"Tired," Jay replied.

"I'm just going to check your incision site," the doctor said, pulling back Jay's gown to reveal a scar stretching from his sternum to his bottom rib. It was slightly red but otherwise appeared fine.

"The incision looks good but your temp's a little high," the doctor said, glancing at the machine next to Jay's bed. "We'll keep monitoring it."

Erin helped Jay straighten his gown as the doctor left the room. The urge to hug him, to make sure he was taken care of and not in any danger, overwhelmed her.

"Do you want anything? Water, magazines, extra blanket?" She asked.

Jay shook his head. "I'm fine, really."

Erin fought the urge to argue with him. Obviously he wasn't fine but if Jay didn't feel like being honest and open with her she couldn't push him. She was supposed to be there for support not aggravation.

"I'll just hangout for a little while longer then I should head home," she said. She really didn't want to start any conflict, not when her partner was laying there looking so defenseless.

Jay smiled weakly at her as he began falling back asleep. "You won't be gone long. You can't stand being away."

Erin snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. She wanted to argue but his breathing had already begun to even out as he fully drifted into sleep.

"I can stay with him if you want," Ruzek suggested.

"Yah, thanks," Erin replied. She stood up. She knew she needed to go home to take a shower and eat something, but the idea of leaving him weighed on her. Burgess looped her arm around her waist.

"Come on, I'll drive you home. I could use some girl time," she said. Erin nodded, thankful for her friend. They left knowing Ruzek would watch over Jay like a hawk.

ONE WEEK LATER

"Voight you gotta let me work," Jay pleaded. He sat in the chair before his commander's desk, trying desperately to argue his case. Voight sat back expression guarded.

"Why do you want to come back before your medical leave is complete?" He asked.

"Because I'm going crazy at home," Jay replied honestly. "I just sit there watching tv bored out of my mind. You can put me on desk duty, just let me stay please."

Voight surveyed the young man before him. He was proud to see how much Jay had changed in just the few short months they'd known each other. He'd grown a lot since joining the team.

"I'll let you stay."

Jay grinned, leaning back in his chair.

"On one condition," Voight added. "You work light desk duty for the next two weeks till your medically cleared to return to active service. That means you're here three days a week max. Understood?"

Jay nodded. "Three is better than none. Thanks!"

Voight watched him leave his office, telling the other members of their team what the verdict was. He couldn't help but feel for the kid. Work was always better than sitting at home stewing.

He just hoped it wasn't going to bite him in the ass.

* * *

"What happened to light desk duty?" Erin asked as she climbed into the car, Jay sitting in the passenger seat.

"This is light," he argued. "I'm letting you drive."

Erin laughed. "Don't let Voight see you."

"Once we're at the scene I doubt he'll care," Jay said as they pulled out into traffic and headed towards the pier where a body had been dumped.

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood," Erin teased. Truthfully she was glad her partner was back. After all they'd been through over the past couple days it was nice to be able to relax.

She didn't see the truck coming until it was already blowing through the red light and into the intersection, slamming into the front of their car. They spun around twice before crashing into a parked car.

Through the haze of shock and confusion Erin unbuckled, glancing over at Jay. He appeared mostly unharmed, shaky and pale with a nasty cut to his forehead but awake and breathing. She wasn't about to complain.

"You okay?" She asked, reaching out and touching his arm when he didn't reply. Jay flinched, looking at her hand. Slowly he followed her arm up to her face, staring at her with wide glassy eyes.

"Jay? Can you hear me?" She repeated as her worry grew. He blinked a few times, brain struggling to catch up.

"Erin!" Antonio shouted as he ran over, Ruzek, Olinsky and Voight hot on his heels. "You alright?"

"Yah I'm fine," she replied, turning to look at them through her smashed window. The other side of the car was pinned against the parked car they'd hit.

"Jay?" Ruzek asked as he climbed onto the other car so he could reach him. The jerky movements, slow reaction speed and unresponsiveness sparked his concern.

"You sure you're okay?" Voight asked as Erin climbed out of the car. The sound of sirens grew louder as house 51's firetruck pulled up.

"What happened?" Severide asked as he hurried over with Casey, a few of the others going to check on the second driver.

"Guy blew a red light," Olinsky griped.

"You good?" Casey asked, looking at Erin.

"Yah I'm fine," she answered, turning back to the car. "Not so sure about Jay."

Severide was already climbing into the drivers seat so he could have better access to Jay. He didn't like how shaky he was, or how confused he appeared.

"Hey man how you doing?" He asked as he fastened a neck brace around him. Jay looked at him, blinking slowly. Severide was about to ask another question, anything to get him talking, when Jay's eyes rolled back and he slumped forward.

"Shit!" Severide swore, quickly checking Jay's pulse on the side of his neck. He turned and shouted, "Get a board over here!"

Soon Jay was strapped to a backboard and slid out of the car then carried over to a waiting stretcher. Everyone stood back as he was loaded into the ambulance, Erin following. She sat down beside him and stared at his face, wishing the knot in her chest would loosen up so she could breath.


	3. Chapter 3

**[A/N : Thank you so much for all the amazing reviews! On to the next chapter!]**

Erin hated not knowing most of all. She could handle the chilly hallways and heavy antiseptic smell of the hospital as the team and members of house 51 camped out in the waiting room. But not knowing how her partner was doing was making the walls press in until she started pacing again, feeling the stares as she dug a groove into the floor.

"Hey, why don't you come sit down," Severide suggested, walking over to her. He watched as she continued pacing in silence, hands shoved deep into her coat pockets. She glared down a doctor as he walked past and Severide would've laughed if the situation had been different. Instead he leaned against the wall, content to just watch her.

The hours ticked by slowly until at last Jay's doctor approached. Severide resisted the urge to hold Erin back as she nearly pounced on the other woman, knowing it wouldn't help.

"He's stable," the doctor said, nervously eyeing Erin before she looked at Voight. "He's got a skull fracture and severe concussion. Thankfully his ribs weren't hit. Now our biggest worry is infection. He was running a fever when we admitted him so he's in ICU on heavy antibiotics."

"I want to see him," Erin said, her voice full of something venomous which made the doctor ignore visiting hours protocol. Their group marched down the hall to ICU, and though they had permission to stay they couldn't all crowd in at once so they took turns. Jay was still unconscious but besides the nasty bump on his forehead and numerous machines he seemed alright.

"I'll stay with him," Erin said, sitting down in a chair beside his bed. Voight knew better than to argue and simply nodded, leading the others back out to the hall.

"Watch her," he said, looking at Severide, Ruzek and Burgess. "I don't want her to be alone right now."

Erin's tired eyes swept over Jay's face, wishing he would wake up already. Unlike her body which she refused to let rest he seemed content to sleep forever. And in her muddled brain the idea of him staying unconscious for the rest of his life suddenly wasn't such an impossible nightmare. She'd been there when his eyes rolled back, watched helplessly as they loaded him on a stretcher.

If she never saw that again for the rest of her life she just might survive.

Erin leaned forward, laying her head on the bed beside Jay's arm. She was just so tired. But she had promised god she wouldn't sleep again until Jay was better. It was her job to keep that pact.

Yet her eyes slid closed on their own, and soon enough she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Erin?"

She jerked upright, alarm spreading through her as she imagined her nightmares coming true. But rather than Jay lying dead before her she found Ruzek and Severide standing beside her, both looking worried.

"What's going on?" She asked, straightening up. Jay was still sleeping, eyes circled with gray smudges. He appeared better than earlier, though still not awake.

"You need to get some rest," Ruzek replied, kneeling beside her. He didn't like how exhausted she looked. "I can stay with him."

Severide nodded. "I'll take you home."

Erin turned and looked at Ruzek, her eyes fighting to stay open. "Come on," he said gently pulling her to her feet. She let Severide loop his arm around her shoulders and steer her towards the door, glancing back at Jay and Ruzek one last time.

"Are you hungry? We could stop somewhere," Severide suggested as they walked out to his car.

"No," Erin replied. "No...I'm just tired."

"Alright," Severide reluctantly agreed. He hoped he could convince her to eat something after she'd gotten some sleep.

"Where are we going?" Erin grumbled, sleepily realizing they weren't headed towards her apartment.

"My place, I thought it might be better having you stay for a couple days. Burgess packed you a bag of clothes," Severide said as he parked. Erin wanted to argue, wanted to tell him that she wished to go home, but the energy needed to argue was more than she had. So she remained quiet, allowing Severide to help her up the stairs.

He unlocked the door and guided her to his room. "I'll crash on the couch."

"No," Erin panicked, turning and burying her head against his chest. The idea of waking up alone terrified her.

"It's okay, I'm here," Severide said, pulling her tighter to him. With one arm he tugged the blankets back, easing her down onto the bed. She clung to him, head bowed as he managed to pull off her jacket and boots then kick off his own.

"Come on lie down," he said. Erin complied in silence, keeping her hands tightly gripped on his shirt. She curled up on her side facing him and he wrapped them in the blankets.

"Sleep," Severide whispered, watching Erin's eyes slowly close.

* * *

For the next week Erin spent every moment when she wasn't by Jay's bedside at Severide and Casey's loft. A few times they tried to convince her to go to Molly's, see the crew, get support from the firefighters and officers who knew the situation. But she refused. She just wanted was to eat, sleep, and wait for Jay to wake up.

Erin grew quieter over the days. She couldn't stand the sound of her own voice echoing so loudly in that small room as the machines beeped and whirred and Jay never responded. All she wanted was his quick humor and half smile to make it possible for her to relax, or even breathe. She felt like she was trapped underwater in some never-ending nightmare.

"Hey, let's go home," Severide said gently, easing her up and to her feet in one swift motion. He'd become an expert on handling Erin's robotic needs and knowing it was best to get her out of there before the nurse came to tell them visiting hours were over. He'd made that mistake before and had to deal with her nearly being banned for attacking hospital staff.

"You got her?" Ruzek asked, standing up from the chair he'd been occupying in the waiting room.

"Yah we're good. I'll text you in the morning," Severide replied. Ruzek nodded, watching them leave.

Severide had taken as much time off work as he could but with Jay's condition remaining the same he'd called a meeting earlier while Erin sat in ICU. Ruzek, Burgess, Casey and Dawson had agreed to do whatever they needed to make sure Erin was never alone, coming up with an attack plan. She would continue staying at the loft and while Severide and Casey were at work Dawson would take her to the hospital in the morning then stay until early afternoon when Ruzek would take over, with Burgess filling in as needed. And after their shift Casey or Severide would come pick Erin up, making sure she ate dinner before going to sleep. It was shaky at best but they didn't have much of a choice.

Because Jay wasn't the only one in critical condition. They knew it, could easily see it whenever they looked into Erin's vacant eyes. She was holding on only as long as he did.

* * *

The call came at three fifteen. At first all Severide could do was nod, finally finding his voice when Voight asked if he was still there.

"Yah, I'm here," Severide replied, standing up and going into the kitchen. He leaned against the door frame and tried to stay optimistic.

"I can come tell her if you want," Voight suggested.

Severide wiped a shaky hand down his face. "No, no it's okay I got it. Thanks for letting me know."

"I'll keep you updated," Voight said, his usually gruff voice softening. "You're doing good. Just keep her calm."

"Thanks," Severide said before hanging up.

"What's going on?" Casey asked sleepily as he and Dawson walked into the room, both of them squinting in the harsh light.

"Jay's stats are dropping so they're gonna put him on life support," Severide replied. He gripped his phone, knowing there was so much he needed to do. He needed to call the team at 51 and let them know what happened, needed to call the captain, needed to somehow tell Erin.

"I'll tell her," Dawson said, turning and going to Severide's room. He watched her go, the realization hitting him. Jay was dying and the woman he loved wasn't doing much better.

"Come here," Casey said, hugging Severide in one of their rare affectionate moments. Neither were overtly physical when it came to their emotions, but Casey could see the panic welling in his best friends eyes.

"I'm gonna lose her," Severide cried, hugging Casey tightly. "I'm gonna lose her."


	4. Chapter 4

**[A/N : Sorry not sorry for that cliffhanger! Keep the reviews coming!]**

"Hey man," Severide greeted as he took the seat next to Jay's bed, the younger officer pale and unmoving.

"You probably can't hear me but I really need to talk to you. I know Erin hasn't been by for a few days but it's not because she doesn't care. You're her best friend and I'm just scared that if you don't get better soon she's gonna lose it. I've never seen her like this before. So please, I'm begging you, just wake up. Please."

The ventilators hiss was the only sound in the room.

* * *

"Come on Jay open those beautiful blue eyes," Burgess coaxed, holding his hand tightly in her own. Ruzek sat in silence beside her, eyes downcast.

"We need you to wake up."

* * *

Atwater sighed. "It's like the team's falling apart. No one says it, but they all know. Having you in here is killing the rest of us."

* * *

"I remember when you first joined intelligence," Antonio mused, leaning forward. "You were so excited to be making a difference in people's lives. You don't realize just how important you are, Jay. We need you. Come back to us."

* * *

Olinsky paused. "This is a big favor I'm asking, but if you could wake up now I'd really appreciate it."

* * *

"Erin's doing okay. Severide's with her constantly so she's never alone. And I'm sure once you wake up the two of you will have a great story to tell," Dawson said, feeling the words burn her throat. All her medical training taught her that the longer the coma the less percentage the victim had of ever waking up. But this was Jay not some unknown victim and she couldn't sit there in silence.

Casey took her hand. "All of us are here for you."

* * *

Voight sat in silence, the steady beep on the heart monitor clearing away all other thoughts except the young man lying before him. The one he'd promised to look out for no matter what.

"I'm sorry I failed you."

A simple twitch of the fingers stopped his confession in its tracks. Voight grabbed Jay's hand, holding it as he searched his face for any sign of consciousness. When the fingers weakly curled around his and gripped his hand Voight nearly lost it.

"Jay? Can you hear me? Come on kiddo open your eyes!"

"'Ay?...eyes!"

The garbled voice broke through the fog inside Jay's head as he slowly surfaced into awareness. More voices soon joined in as he began coughing on something caught in his throat. A pair of hands gripped his shoulders and he thought he heard someone tell him to calm down but he was choking and nothing was making sense and oh god he was gonna die...

Suddenly the obstruction was cleared and he wheezed as he gasped in big lungfuls of air. The voices picked back up again but Jay was too tired to bother trying to understand them and eventually they faded away. He was content to just drift between sleep and awareness, hovering right on the edge.

* * *

"He's doing much better," the doctor explained, looking around at all those gathered in the hall outside Jay's room. "The swelling in his brain has receded and he's breathing on his own. And his fever is going down which means the antibiotics are finally working."

"When will he wake up?" Ruzek asked.

"Hard to tell. Could be a few hours or a few days. Depends on him," she replied.

Voight nodded. "Thank you."

The others voiced their thanks and appreciation before the doctor left.

"I want someone to stay with him until he wakes up," Voight said. "The worst thing about being in the hospital is waking up alone."

"I should call Severide, let him know," Casey said as he pulled out his phone.

"Good idea," Olinsky agreed. "I can stay with Jay tonight."

"I'll be here in the morning," Atwater volunteered. Everyone hugged before splitting up, most heading home with plans of returning the next day. Their family was finally about to be reunited.

* * *

Erin tried to stay calm as she and Severide, Dawson and Casey walked down the hallway to Jay's room. Picking up on her distress, Severide took her hand and squeezed it gently.

"I'm right here," he promised. Erin nodded, stepping forward as Atwater and Olinsky walked out of Jay's room. Catching sight of her approaching, Atwater smiled and pulled her into a hug. Erin stiffened, the friendly comfort grating on her raw nerves. She didn't want condolences she wanted Jay.

Olinksy must've seen a flicker in her eyes and knew how close she was to losing it as he tapped Atwater on the shoulder, breaking apart their hug.

"He's been in and out all morning," he said, taking a step back as Erin nodded before heading inside. She tried to brace herself for what she'd face. Jay had been in a coma, his body was gonna be in rough shape. She couldn't expect him to be the same as before.

What she wasn't ready for was Jay lying propped up in bed, blue eyes watching her closely as she walked into the room. Severide, Casey and Dawson lingered in the hall and she was grateful because before the door had fully closed she was across the room and by his side, tears streaming down her face.

"Hey," Jay said weakly, flashing his half grin at her.

"Hey," she replied, voice thick. She sat on the edge of his bed, careful not to jostle him. It was like every one of her prayers were finally answered. He was awake, and talking, and WHOLE. The sight healed her.

"Don't cry," he murmured. She laughed, brushing away the tears on her cheeks. Of course he was more worried about her than himself. Typical Jay.

"How are you feeling?" Erin asked. She hadn't been able to focus on what the doctor said to the team last night, only picking up on the fact that he was awake and doing much better.

"Like I got hit by a train," Jay replied.

Erin nodded, taking his hand in hers. "You scared me. Don't ever do that again."

"I promise," Jay swore. There was a knock on the door and Casey peeked in.

"Feeling up for some visitors?" He asked.

"Sure," Jay smiled. Casey pushed the door open and led the way inside, Severide, Dawson and the rest of the team following. Erin allowed herself to be swept up in the celebration, everyone rejoicing now that Jay was on the mend.

Severide looped his arm around Erin's shoulder and she leaned against him, content. For the first time in weeks she was able to finally relax. Her family was whole again.


End file.
